On a scale of expired to really expired how expired is this

Dudeit says since 1981 yo
Very recent ah
By your standardsla is it klaus cos you live forever


Where thes stink is the expirey date


WHAT HAPS?

WHAT HAPS?

WHAT HAPS????

WHAT HAPS?

WHAT HAPS?

WHAT HAPS????

WHAT HAPS?

WHAT HAPS?

WHAT HAPS????

I AM A BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY

FLY FLY FLY

MY FLY ISOPEN

FLY FLY FLY

A Samui story

I flew to Koh Samui on Sep 22-23, 2012, making the trip my maiden visit to Thailand. It was also my first time flying alone—and the experience is amazing; liberating; independent. It set a precedent. Here on, I want fly solo.

From KLIA, I boarded Bangkok Airways’ Airbus 319 to Samui International Airport. And I noted the pronounced difference of my emotions in reaction to the distinct atmospheres of the two airports. In KLIA I was feeling like a lost little girl in a big, big world. But in Samui, the sun’s smile was imprinted on my cheek, the breeze tugged at my hair and tickled my face, and the coconut trees—there were so many of them—waved their leaves in welcome.

Speaking of inaugural events, I never had to meet a stranger at an airport holding up my name on a placard. But there it was…‘Ms. Jolyn New’, written with blue marker on a folded piece of white paper. I was tickled and all buttered up at the funny, flattering gesture. No one thinks twice about this method of announcement and rolls on the floor in hysterics (or in my case, hysterics breeaking loose internally, while  the face remains stoic outside), do they? But then no one is as self-amused about silly things in life's ordinary routines as I am...and can get.

That was Krit. Then we were picked up by his colleague Passapong and headed out on a top-to-bottom Samui exploration. It was an eye-opener watching them interact with other people. Complete strangers; yet so amiable, good-natured, and sincere. Our party received an ample helping of the humble wai—the traditional Thai greeting of head slightly bowed towards clasped palms clasped—and dulcet “Sawadee ka/krap”. It's incredible; a culture shock, to me at least, because in Malaysia no one is that friendly. You could try pulling your lips open towards both sides of the ears but all people deliver in return (usually) are cold stares and turned heads. Maybe I'm dipping into unfair sweeping generalisation, but I've lived in Malaysia long enough... Anyway, I guess that's why they call Thailand the Land of a Thousand Smiles.

I only stayed for a night and two days and that’s not enough to comb the island. My opinion: if you want to get to know this beautiful tropical paradise, please stay longer. I wish I had extended my stay now.

I’ve written a fuller piece on Expatriate Lifestyle’s website.

I truly miss Samui—the sights, the charming little shops, Chaweng’s activity, the seafood, and of course my two new friends. Hopefully someday I will be able to plant more footprints on the island’s coconut-fringed paths.

Samui International Airport. Where it all began and ended

Lamai Fresh Coconut Ice-cream.

A mobile kiosk that either parks in Lamai or Chaweng beaches

Coconut ice-cream with sticky rice and pineapple toppings

Me at Lamai lookout point. Deb's said I looked like a happy camper

A coconut candy seller. At the Hin Ta-Hin Yai site

Grandfather Rock

That's Great-grandfather Rock at the back

We stayed at InterContinental Baan Taling Ngam. It's gorgeous

My room at InterContinental. Room 421

Thai vermicelli noodles with fish curry

Same as above, but a variation. And spicier

Vegetables for the vermicelli

Thai iced tea. It's fragrant and sweet.

Tastes different to our own because of use of a different kind of leaves

Bakubung Cafe. Heard the coconut cake here is good

Passapong + Krit. But only their backs

Ed-static over kwon chef’s genius

Chef Edward Kwon demonstrating the preparation of Samgyetang

LI TV's Korean celebrity chef, Edward Kwon, cooked for a special gala dinner which I attended with Rebecca as media guests under Expatriate Lifestyle. Special thanks to Sook Ping, Hwei and Akmal, the lovely ladies from Roots Asia Pacific who invited us. Here's an excerpt of my piece below and a link to the full story on EL's website.

Food either makes you happy or leaves you wanting. But guests at Korean celebrity chef, Edward Kwon’s six-course gala dinner on Sept 14, were rendered thoroughly impressed over his masterpieces. Inspired by the 13-episode production of EdVentures in Asia starring Chef Kwon, the feast was presented by Life Inspired TV and Maybank at the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur.
>> Read more

Photos, videos and information on EdVentures in Asia.

Office moments (EL in Mongoose)

It's been a year and six months since I've worked in Mongoose Publishing. I remember starting on April 4, 2011 and my little corner desk, which then, I had a better view than I do now. I was appointed as Editorial Executive of Expatriate Lifestyle magazine and its sister projects, Essential Education, Arrivals and most recently, Voyage. Today, I face a wall with the words 'communicating with integrity' plastered across.

I've seen four members leave, including my beloved Keirsten Clark; five members and an intern join the editorial team, one new editor, one in design, and I've lost count of new and missing faces in sales. Since April 4, I've had to write a cover story on the William and Kate visit to Malaysia in ONE DAY; Travel Malaysia stories to Johor, Penang, luxury hotels around Malaysia, the Best of Malaysia Awards; Travel Asia; food features; education; homes; reviews; advertorials; briefs and basically nearly everything in Expatriate Lifestyle... with the only remaining page being 'Editor's letter'.

Here is what my office desk looks like today. (From top left) My DIY name placard, stack organiser, people's name cards, chick, impractical coffee mug, pink Hello Kitty calculator, notebook, telephone, magazine file (with issues dating from back to March 2011), 'Jesus Loves Me' badge against the wall, handwritten letters to EL, Dell monitor and keypad, sticky notes, polaroid photos, jelly bone wrist rest, Thermos + Threadless hydration bottle, cupcake memo holder, kawaii card reader, another stack organiser, yellow EL job bags, cork board calendar, and colourful Daiso blanket slung on my chair.

Office Funnies

Starring: Jolyn (senior editorial executive), Samantha (editorial executive), Antoine (executive editor a.k.a. boss), Keirsten (ex deputy editor), Sim (Time Out Penang web writer)

Calling Plaza Indonesia, Indonesia for images.

Operator: Nombor yang anda panggil, tiada dalam servis. Sila dial jbdhvfgbcj nul-nul-nul-nul... Terima kasih.

Jolyn: Whaddaheck?! People, I just called Indonesia and the operator went 'jbdhvfgbcj nul-nul-nul-nul'.

Sim: Haha, let me try!

Sim dials the mall number.

Operator: Nombor yang anda panggil, tiada dalam servis. Sila dial jbdhvfgbcj nul-nul-nul-nul... Terima kasih.

Sim: Hahahaha! That's funny. Thanks for the stress relief, Jolyn.

After a call to the PR of another mall, Senayan City. 

Jolyn: Oh shit, Sam, I just called the PR for Senayan City and said "Hello, can I please get high resolution images of Plaza Indonesia?" The PR person said "...this is Senayan City".

Samantha: Hahaha!

Looking at images on previewer.

Jolyn: Hey, look! When I zoom into the picture, it zooms to where the cursor points!

Antoine: It.finally.connected!

*Hallelujah...

The team doing TalentCorp articles.

Jolyn: Ok I've finished mine. 'What to do and what not to do in Malaysia'.

Keirsten edits.

Keirsten: Jolyn, what is this?!!! "Do not make fun of our food. We know some Malaysian delicacies such durian are not everyone's cup of tea, but there worse things people out there eat; dirt, bugs, trash, other people, etc.

Team explodes in laughter.

Keirsten: And this! "Do not rub people's heads. We're not good luck charms you know. But it would probably be alright to pat children's head... hmm".

Team ROFL.

Keirsten: And you had to add "hmm" in?!

Received a call from Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur.

Caller: Hello, this is xw$htj#jsdn@hjs$am#bajh@...may I know why you need the images?

Jolyn: (Huh??? What images?!) Um... hello? Sorry, what did you say just now? Something's wrong with the phone and I didn't catch your words.

Caller: Yeah, this is Qhadaffi from Shangri-La KL. Can I know why you emailed us for high resolution images?

Jolyn: Ah! Yes! We need them for our upcoming Best of Malaysia issue for October.

Caller: Oh, I see. Alright then. I will send them to you shortly.

Jolyn: Ok, thank you so much!

Hangs up.

Jolyn: Omg Sam, I fazed out just now during a call. The guy was asking bla-bla, something and I only caught the word "images" at the end, and I was thinking what images? Then I quickly made up some excuse and said my there's some problem with my phone. So he repeated himself and I finally understood what he wanted. I fazed out during a call!

Samantha: You what?! Hahaha!

Print day is Friday and everyone had only started working on EL on Monday. Before that the team was busy with Voyage.

Jolyn: Shucks, I can't focus la Sam! I need horse blinders to keep my train of sight only on the monitor.

Samantha: I'll make you one.

Jolyn: Thanks!

Sam makes makeshift horse blinders out of A4 printouts and her hair band (pic below). See what amazing works, creative hands can do.

Team: OMGWTFROFLTAO!

Morning after

I have been working up the words for quite awhile; spent a little more time on this post; thought over my emotions / security / desires / destiny. It was a whirlwind decision.

Consider the girl who has no extensive work experience, no sufficient interview experience. She walks into the dismal office of a political news company. Sinking feeling. The interviewer is nice. Puts her at ease. Spirits rise. Interviewer / editor tells her to come in on Monday. 'Test the waters' sort of run. Come Monday, she's in and expects to be there less than a few hours, but finds out this was officially her first day as an employee for the first time in her life. Shock - thus the drama begins.

I was scared stiff. What you mean I'm in? As in I no longer have the option of backing out? What about other job offers? I barely got a chance to survey the market. I had ants in my pants. Emotions start to run a little wild. What do I do know? This is political news were talking about here. Not fun, silly, play-the-fool features which I'm a natural at. Will I be able to hold my end up? The editor's friendliness truly eases my transition into working life.

I listed out my problems:
1.Politics - I don't get it.
2.Transport - the office was in the middle of nowhere.
3.Just scared - can't put my finger on it.
How would I be able to fix these bugs?

So I turn to the two people I trust most. God and mum. I had begged God everyday before I joined, that I would get a job. That I wouldn't become one of those thousand unemployed fresh graduates. I asked Him to open only one door, and that it'd be the right door for me. The one that'll enable me to walk in the lines of His master plan for my life. But I didn't expect this! It was such a snap decision. So it was a lot of insecurity and doubt.

Then another curveball. Someone else invited me back for an interview. I told the family. Curveball coming: Dad says no harm trying it out... politics was not my thing... check out other options...etc. I was stupefied. Then extremely pissed. Then overwhelmed with sadness. I realised I didn't want to leave. The revelation of truth was so stunning that I cried. What happened? When I had been so adamant my forte was in features, when things seemed so uncertain to me when I started my first week?

Well it is this, the editor and the job got to me. They got to me before anything else did. After the trauma I had in I-will-not-mention-names, I was so grateful to face a smiling, encouraging, even indulgent editor. The job too became from nerve-wracking to pleasant. I began to enjoy calling YBs up on their mobiles, asking them this and that, laughing at the mad goings-on in the crazy grey world of politics.

Back to the curveball. I was so upset at the thought of ditching, (yes, ditching would be the only word to describe it) my editor - and me not even in my first month in the company. For the love of peace!!! I didn't want to go. I didn't want to disappoint the person who had accepted me in the first meeting itself and bought me (really smooth, addictive) 7-11 coffee all the week I worked there.

Then the thought occurred to me. What if it was God's plan NOT for me to be here? Can it be? Had I not prayed that only one door be opened? And this one did - the ONLY one that opened. And I fervently hoped that if that were the case, there had better be someone BETTER than I, come in and take over my place here immediately so that I would not put my editor in a pickle. I felt she deserved as much. And rightly so, she's the nicest person I know in the news line. I shall not elaborate...

And now I want to retire for the night.

>> to be continued

It's a wonderful morning back in the office! I'm working on a few stories today (as usual). Haha. Let me continue my ranting. Yes, I was down in the dumps thinking about the matter. Then after the talk mum and I had, I was reassured a little. Yup this probably was the place for me. I can't see myself anywhere else at the moment anyways.

For now I'm just praying and asking God what His plans for me are in the working world. I need to pray believing and trusting God. I need to just surrender it all to Him. Sigh, it's all a tornado of emotions. Don't even know what I'm feeling now. Forgive me God but sometimes it's just so hard. I'm scared and insecure about this career situation. I just don't want to be miserable - very human... and I also don't want to hurt the company by leaving like that.

I didn't mention that I got to choose my own desk did I? How wicked awesome is that. Bye bye lousy wooden, vandalised, school tables :D It's like moving from Vatican City to Russia. I've gotten down to dumping a lot of stuff on it. Make it my natural habitat. So far I have a calendar, stationery, tissue roll, cup, my name cards, hand sanitiser, band aids, notebooks, my RM1 umbrella (which is tearing apart), and a HANDMADE table name plate! The desk has a telephone too :)))

>> to be continued

The tide seems to be turning. I said SEEMS to be. Not exactly there yet. I'm still waiting to receive an email from someone giving me the green light to go ahead and take the other door (note: my previous post said 'road'). The email was supposed to have come last night or today. It's already 1.18pm and still no email. I wonder what's the hold up. Getting really nervous now - and still waiting.

But what if, again the 'what if', this other door is also not the one for me. Please do not tell me there will be no doors for me for awhile! I don't want to be wandering about aimlessly in the dessert. I don't take to well to these dry spells. I usually come out of it smelling like garbage.

Please please God. Give me a door. And again, let it be the right door from you. It's 2.30pm now. Maybe I should make a call.

>> to be continued

Goodness gracious! The other door really opened! I'm totally struck dumb. Should I or should I not walk through it? I'll have to pray about it and ask God. I also have to ask mum and dad. Freaky! I have ants in my pants now. I really don't know what my next step should be!!!

God please please I know you're reading this. I beg of You to tell me what I should do. Please speak to me and give me Your direction. Wherever You place me is where I want to be. I want to follow the blueprints of Your plan for my life.

Oh no, I also realised I didn't put down the dates for each time I updated this post. For your information, this post is supposed to be a saga. It's a sequel to my previous post titled Before Morning. Counting the days for something momentous to happen. I wrote this over a span of days.

>> to be continued

March 30

Things are a little... awkward. I've received good news and I'm waiting for the letter now. Even before reading it, I'm sure of wanting to move. Yes, I'm taking the other door now.

I still pray that I will be replaced by someone better than me, and in numbers so many they would have choices! May the next person, or better people, have what it takes to do good for the company, be flawless where I was flawed, be nosy where I wasn't, be brave where I was chicken and have the dogged desire to get the scoop. And this is my sincere concern for this place.

>> to be continued

April 9

Wow I've left this post to hibernate for so long. It's been a week now down the new road. I have to say things are pretty smooth sailing *big smile*. Work's good. I like a lot - of course it's mainly coz I'm able to handle it. It's been no sweat so far. I don't even wanna begin mentioning the ease of travelling (though it's back to the old Krappy Tin Metal horror routine). The LRT never ceases to amaze me. What's ironic is that you get the same people who ride the KTM like wild beasts suddenly remembering their Queen's manners when the adjourn to the LRT station. Needless to say I'm one of them :p

I'm looking forward to big things. :)

I'm happy now and I pray God will continue to be with me throughout the journey till I see another fork in the horizon.

CFWM 3

For my third Creative Writing assignment I chose to do a feature on Klang. Wow, as if there were no better places to write about >.>

In a Not So Faraway Land

“Klang residents can’t speak a word of English!” a friend of a friend snorted snootily. I gasped; I spluttered; and I choked; for I am solid proof of a living, breathing being, born and bred in Klang that knows more words in the English dictionary than Bill Gates can buy, if I do say so myself. Poor old Klang has long been the object of torment and misconception at the pleasure of Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, and Subang Jaya dwellers. Sadly, outsiders see Klang in a stereotypically negative way and would give no room for change of perception for as long as the sun rises in the East. When someone asks where I come from, it takes one word–Klang, for them to exclaim “Klang?!” with that look of annoyance mingled with disgust. What’s sadder is that these fallacies I must say are even shared by Klang locals themselves. However, one thing is evident and that is Team Klang sticks up for our own little town, and is ready to bark back any criticism coming from the impudent ignoramuses from supposedly, and I quote, “cooler” parts of the Klang Valley.

To know this misunderstood town a little better, let’s delve into a bit of its history. Klang is the royal capital of the state of Selangor. The Sultan’s royal palace, Istana Alam Shah, is located at Jalan Istana, recognizable by its huge gilded purple gate. Real gold, you ask? Nah, I doubt it, or chunks of it will go missing every day. It is rumoured to have an enormous aquarium with an amazing variety of marine species, pampered with royal treatment. Who knows if it’s true? I’m not allowed inside palace grounds. It would certainly be a shame to get shot for trespassing and die. My late grandfather, may he rest in peace, had interesting tales to tell about the palace as he’s been to visit several times. He knew the late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Al-Haj, may he also rest in peace, personally. Unfortunately, now that I’m on the road of appreciating and absorbing as much history as I can, I’m too late!

Klang is named after the grotesque Klang River which snakes across the middle of the town. One of the reasons Klang is taunted relentlessly is because of this very river to which everyone will agree as obscene, repugnant, radioactive, a flagrant error of humanity, and every other foul word in the book. Fishing is free there if you have a taste for mutant seafood. A rapid growth of modern townships such as Bandar Botanic and Bukit Tinggi has really hyped the place up. JUSCO Bukit Tinggi mall is a welcome change to the dead Klang Parade or decrepit Shaw Centrepoint. Bukit Tinggi especially is effervescent at night with the brightly lit commercial blocks. Restaurants and cafes stay open till late.

The town boasts of a few monuments like the Tugu Keris. It is a flashy, towering silver Keris that ‘hellos’ motorists on the left side of the Federal Highway. Built in 1985 as an emblem to the Silver Jubilee of the Sultan of Selangor's installation, it…hasn’t rusted. Besides that, there is the Klang Royal Gallery located in the nonagenarian Sultan Suleiman building. It contains the hoo-ha, heritage and history of the Selangor sultanate. If that’s not enough, let’s take a trip to the Gedung Raja Abdullah. This big brown boy first housed weapons, tin, and food. Then, the British converted it into an administration office. Today it’s a tin museum; a window into a whirlwind past that was crazy and colourful.

Ah, and what’s a town without food? Klang is known nationwide–or at least around the Klang Valley–as a food sanctuary. The dish that renews our faith in mankind and bears people a scrap of reverence towards Klang is (long live forever) bak kut teh. Literally translated from Hokkien to English, bak is meat; kut is bones; and teh is tea. So you can pretty much imagine what this dish looks like. A clay pot filled with pungent dark soup, pork, an assortment of mushrooms, and fried bean curd. The only fault my finger can point at is the gross pig intestines.

Moreover Klang is famous for viva la seafood. We easily have the best seafood cuisine in the whole region if not the country. Tucked away in remote, tiny Telok Gong, it is accessible only by car as no other modes of public transport go this way. Looks like we want to keep it our little secret and not have to share it with the rest of the world. But a secret like this is hard to keep and people come from as far as Johor and Singapore to try the must-do-before-you-die seafood. The locals and I swear by the seafood served in Coconut Flower Seafood Restaurant. It is like riding a Spanish fighting bull through the eye of a tornado. Oops, cat’s out of the bag now!

Let’s not forget the celebrated Klang Cendol along Jalan Nanas. The business has come a long way since starting out on a tricycle. It advanced to a cendol van, and now the business owners have a shop so full of customers, they can retire in five years and live like kings. I take joy in describing cendol let alone eat it. Cendol is a sweet Malaysian delicacy usually taken as dessert. It’s made from shaved ice, topped with creamed corn, grass jelly, red beans, and green noodle-like cendol from which the dessert is christened; rose syrup, coconut milk and gula Melaka spilling at the sides of the bowl, all swept up in the shape of a volcano. And rightly so because the taste is just explosive! Other than cendol the shop sells rojak, another popular, lip-smacking meal. The word rojak means mix; hence the dish is an outrageous blend of noodles, bean curd, hard-boiled eggs, fried dough fritters, bean sprouts, and cucumber, with a splash of thick, sweet and spicy peanut sauce. Voila–a perfect blend of Malaysian ingenuity.

For a dash of the old-fashioned feel, Chong Kok Kopitiam delivers aromatic, world-class coffee, scrumptious toast and nasi lemak. Why do I call it vintage? Because it’s a delightful little shop out of time; stepped out of a classic film and into the twenty-first century with its antique tiles and glass window panel, the words “First Class Bar” plastered across. That’s just what was during the British colonial era–a first class bar. Old customers love nothing better than to sit at a table with a cup coffee and reminisce about ‘the days’.

The Klang community never goes hungry with around the clock mamaks. Thank the heavenlies for mamaks. How do the anes/boss’/joes manage to keep on their feet and serve ravenous customers all those hours? Hats off to the people who serve, ladies and gentlemen. But enough about food or I’ll be rushing off to the nearest mamak.

Klang culture is loved by many and despised by some. The mood is quaint, quirky, old school, and unhurried. City dwellers accuse Klang of being ulu (rural or backward). They expect us to bask in their magnificence of cosmopolitan modernity, but I tell you the glorious bulbs that dance and light Klang up can bring KL to the stocks of medieval shame. Time slows down in this town and people are relaxed. Even the cost of living is lower so it’s good news for skinflints like my Chinese self. Best of all the traffic is not as constipated as it is on the busy streets of KL.

Klang is a blend of the old and new with long-standing places like Melawis and happening new sites like Bukit Tinggi; and that’s just South Klang alone. The birth of Bandar Baru Klang in the North rang no jubilant bells because it began as lifeless as dried out pickles. The place was a white elephant during the 90s, but as sure as the tiny acorn sprouts into the mighty oak tree, so did BBK grow into a thriving vicinity. Soon Aman Perdana and Setia Alam joined its ranks and formed the formidable North Klang that boomed to the borders of Shah Alam. We truly have the best of both worlds.

The largest and busiest port in Malaysia, Port Klang, is no stranger to us. Formerly called Port Swettenham after Sir Frank Athelstane Swettenham, Selangor’s British Resident in 1882, it was his brainchild export tin after the old harbor, Pelabuhan Batu, was too shallow to anchor vessels the likes of the Britannic. It during the tumultuous WWII that Port Klang contained another kind of transport–allied aircraft. It was here that the Royal Selangor Yacht Club was initiated by then Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak. Port Klang is currently under the jurisdiction of the Majlis Perbandaran Klang (MPK).

MPK finally pulled through with the new flyover that connects North and South Klang. The works took forever to finish. In fact, construction had been going on for years and it really clogged up traffic. Now the flyover is open, traffic has eased but the orange cones and bumble bee concrete dividers are still in sight. Sigh, the council is lazy Klang culture personified.

The regrettable part of Klang culture is the association with high crime rates. “Klang is a den for thieves and pirates”, someone once joked. Boy would I give him a taste of my sucker punch if I weren’t a lady. “Crime is frequent in Klang but so is it everywhere, you moron.” Residents are always careful not to compromise on safety. Move in a group, don’t go out in the dark, keep your eyes peeled for unusual activity around you, and run away from motorcyclists brandishing machetes.

The Little India enclave is one of the endearing pieces of the Klang puzzle. Competition among scores of shops leads to cheaper prices, leaving consumers spoilt for choice. Stalls occupy both sides of Jalan Tengku Kelana and overflow onto back lanes. A myriad of Indian articles such as sarees, accessories, textiles, food, flowers, gold, and household items are available. Deepavali sees the street turn into vibrant spectacle of colours, lights and sounds. My personal addiction is the Indian coconut candy. There is no leaving Indian street without a box of candy. Little India just about puts Klang on the map of civilization.

Ugh, the slimy part of Klang culture called the lala culture makes my stomach churn. Lalas are people who throw on mismatched clothing and accessories, inspired by God-awful Japanese fashion. Their hair are impossible splatters of colours and come in extraterrestrial shapes. There is no particular age-group for this parade of freaks. You get baby lalas and grandlalas. They don’t realize they look like Christmas trees or rodeo clowns. They are fashion disasters; their clothes cheaper than the free peanuts served on airplanes. It’s not that lalas can’t be found in KL, PJ or Subang, it’s just that they’re concentrated here in Klang. No wonder they call Klang the Lala Headquarters.

Another charming aspect of our culture is Taman Rakyat, the recreational park packed with screaming kids and robust senior citizens. There are slides, swings, see-saws, monkey-bars and everything rowdy children dream of. It gets annoying being surrounded by a throng of running, pushing brats, but it is a play park. There are also empty plots where youths show off their skills on skateboards and rollerblades. These empty plots are also occupied by the same group of adorable elderly people every evening, line dancing or practicing Tai Chi. Picture this; wrinkly grandmas and grandpas put on the radio, get into position, move energetically with Oriental fans in their hands to some crackly female voice singing an old favourite Chinese ditty. Behind the park is mountainous ground with a trail that the very same group of elderly folks blaze up and down every dawn in their tracksuits, funny caps and “Good Morning” towels. Wow, these ancestors are incredibly gung-ho!

The times I think about Klang and the funny tales it has to offer tickles me pink. It reminds me of the story of the frog who turned into a handsome prince. This is the extraordinary saga of how a friendless plot of red earth, weeds, wild trees (and slithery reptiles, I’m sure), became the town it is today. So stop picking on it like the townspeople did Frankenstein, thank you very much! Still could do with improvement on infrastructure and I’m sure we could find room for more shopping malls though. All in all, Klang has an odd charm that doesn’t lure you with an untamed fiery passion if you’re new to it, but is forever to the kooky Klang gang who call it home. And how!

CAIR A2

Omg NOW i update???

This is an assignment from Sem 5 which I got D(istinction)

CAIR assignment 2

Dengue Fever Hits Hard

May 27, 2010

By, New Jo-Lyn

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is facing a dangerous health situation due to the dengue epidemic with 834 cases and two deaths reported last week alone, according to the Ministry of Health.

The total number of cases that have been reported from the beginning of this year is 18, 815, showing a 10 percent decrease from the 20, 974 cases that were reported for the same duration in 2009.

“The current 34 dengue hotspots are located in Johor, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, and especially Kuala Lumpur and Selangor where urbanisation and abandoned projects provide breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes,” said Health Ministry Director General Tan Sri Ismail Merican.

According to the Health Ministry’s Disease Control Division, Selangor holds the record for the highest number of cases at 1,370 between Jan 1 and 23. This is followed by Sarawak with 645 cases, Kuala Lumpur/Putrajaya with 246, Johor with 166 cases.

The ministry continues its proactive measures to restrain the epidemic by increasing public awareness. So far 705 clean-up activities have been conducted, more than a thousand talks given, and nearly 2 million factsheets have been distributed throughout the nation.

The Health Ministry also commenced fogging to kill mosquitoes and larviciding to destroy Aedes larvae. However the local authorities met with resistance from some house owners who would not allow them to enter their residences, while some were not home during the day.

He warned that the government will fine households up to RM100 and organisations RM300 each time they refuse to allow fogging in their premises. People are urged to ensure that their homes, schools, and places of work are kept clean and free of contained water.

Though the ministry is carrying out these disease control measures many are still not aware of the risks of allowing mosquitoes to breed in their residences. “It comes back to the public’s awareness about keeping their surroundings clean to prevent the mosquitoes from breeding,” said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin.

Under the Destruction of Disease Bearing Insects Act, those found to be breeding Aedes mosquitoes will be slapped with a RM500 compound for each site, and a possible fine or even a jail sentence.

Datuk Rosnah said the rise in fatalities is caused by circumstances where first-time dengue survivors became infected with the disease a second time and infected people who delayed getting medical treatment. “There is no vaccine yet for dengue and there is no medicine to overcome the disease,” she said.

The Ministry of Health claims it has not received any reports on dengue cases from schools throughout Malaysia. Schools and Parent-Teacher Associations are urged to organise gotong-royongs at least once a week to clean up school compounds.

Lim Kit Siang of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) commented that he was unimpressed with Health Minister, Datuk Liow Tiong Lai’s “indifferent” and “irresponsible” remark on taking dengue cases seriously when the numbers have doubled since the last year. “Malaysia needs a real war and not a ‘phoney war’ waged by spinmeisters,” he said.

34-year-old personal assistant Mahani Hashim who recovered from dengue fever has become more vigilant over epidemic and inspects every crevice inside and outside her house. “Now I spray every corner with aerosol in case there are any mosquitoes hiding and throw away stagnant water. I don’t want to get dengue again,” she said.

Dengue fever and Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) are acute febrile diseases which usually strike in tropical countries. The diseases can be fatal and are transmitted by the black and white Aedes mosquito.

Information on Dengue Fever and Dengue haemorrhagic fever

Background

• Dengue Fever and Dengue haemorrhagic fever is an infection of four known flavivirus transmitted by the black and white Aedes mosquito that causes severe flu-like illness.
• Worldwide incidences have recently risen and approximately 40 percent of the world’s population is at risk of infection.
• The Aedes mosquito is known to breed in urban and semi-urban areas where pollution is higher, and in tropical and sub-tropical climates.

Signs and symptoms

• Symptoms include severe headaches, muscle and joint aches (myalgias and arthralgias), and fever.
• Another symptom is bright red rashes that appear first on the lower limbs and chest, eventually spreading over most of the body.
• Abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, and nausea can occur.

Treatment

• No vaccine or medicine has been developed yet to overcome the virus but there are many ongoing testings.
• It is crucial to execute timely supportive therapy to manage shock as a result of bleeding.
• There must to be careful monitoring of vital signs during the critical period of two to seven days of fever.
• Drinking more fluids is necessary to prevent dehydration.

Control

• The spread of dengue flavivirus is primarily controlled through fogging (adult mosquito control) and larviciding (larvae control).
• Aedes mosquitoes breed in collected water. Draining the water or larvicide treatment is recommended.
• Use insect repellent and mosquito nets to avoid being bitten.
• A transgenic strain of Aedes aegypti was recently developed which produces females that are flightless so they are unable to mate or bite.

CF Outing to Bkt Cahaya.

Eh the heck! Isn't Bkt Cahaya the place that Mongolian died? OK never mind. Or at least pretend not to care. i know one thing, Bkt Cahaya is the place many mosquitoes died if i had aimed correctly. Gosh i tell you! It's like a mosquito farm in there. And they all seem to have only feasted on ME!!!!!!! No one else had bites as bad as mine. JQ said it's probably something in my blood. Something sweet. <3 ...haha="">

i woke up in the morning and got busy. Taking junk i was gonna bring and all that. Then waited and waited...and waited. Oi what happened to JQ? So i called. Turns out she just woke up. Hahaha. We had planned to take the KTM together. Since she woke up very late, she decided to drive instead. My dad was like: "What the heck?!" when he saw me. "Going to some jungle, wearing shorts *glares*. A lot of mosquitoes you know!" i didn't wanna wear jeans la. HOT!!!! So i hid in my room till he left for work. Naughty.

JQ drove to my house and picked me up. We blabbed on the way there. When we reached, i passed everyone without saying hello first (sowwy) and headed for 7 11 to pick up Lillien and buy junk food for the trip. JQ and i got Corntos(z). Lillien was pissed at my tardiness. Haha. She gave me a huge Hello Sunshine welcome (sarcasm).

Lillien, Julia, Ju Enn & i sat in Max's car to get there. Benny thought it would take forever to get there. *Big sigh* It's only Shah Alam you know! The journey was like 20/30 minutes. First activity, we were to go to the amphitheater (that what it's called?) and sing songs. On the way we were ambushed by psycho monkeys. Lillien has a picture of the monster on FB (go check out). He stole Lillien's raya cookies. And she wanted to share them with us. Awww. No one wanted to wrestle the monkey to get it back. What if he bites. Monkey cooties. We were trying to get over the incident and saying things like "God forgive them for they know not what they do." Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

We sang. Max brought his guitar. Ate our snacks. Lillien brought 2 lo mai kai. Only for us. Coz we're special. Lol. Benny saw us and said:"Eh those two brought real food." Haha BURN! Then the crowd broke into groups and did their own thing. Some went to get the pizza for our lunch. JQ and others went to the cocoa and paddy farm. The other lazies (including me) took a long ride on the bus. Mmm. Yummy breeze.

We took the pizzas in and ate. Thank goodness we didn't get the delivery guy to send it in. Imagine if he was merrily riding along on his bike and humming 1 300 882525. Suddenly a whole group of monkeys come surging towards him and pounce. It will be like the scene from 300 where the arrows shot covered the sky and blocked out the sun. Poor pizza delivery guy. He would have gotten a big big tip if that really happened.

After makaning, we played games. Blow wind blow and a treasure hunt sorta game. Four people in a group. In mine, Jules, Christina and Benny. Benny was the blind, Jules and I had tie our legs to be the invalids. Christina was to lead us. We hopped(Jules & i) and groped(Benny) our way around, looking for very tiny pieces of coloured paper. Here i loved Jade for something. *winks* When the game ended and i cut the strings off my ankles i was like Praise God for my perfectly functional legs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next we went to the Four Seasons House. Today was Autumn. Oh great! i love Autumn. i'd never experienced Autumn before. But that doesn't mean it can't be my fave season. i love God and i've never seen His face. Autumn was very very cold. It was even colder than the AC in college. Can't imagine what winter would be like. Oh wait, i've been to the Mines Winter Wonderland. Toot it was frigging freezing. i went in yellow and came out blue. Anyway let's get back on track. It was gorgeous. So so beautiful. Like a countryside. There were gazebos, lots of pretty flowers (i saw bluebells!!!), a tree with brown/orange leaves, a mini pond, and a little mill. Lillien said she could stay there forever.

Our last activity was the maddest. Poisonball and monkey in the middle.i stank so bad at poisonball. There was 20 seconds of volleyball. Then we switcherooed to monkey in the middle. Fun la oi! Dunno how many dents the buses when the ball hit. Kenneth was hilarious here. He was screaming and running away from the ball. Lol. Finally the bus came and we ciao-ed. Lillien and i took the van this time. And we played the sakai game of Truth or Dare. Peter had tons of retarded questions to throw at us.

Lastly we had dinner together in MyCafe. Wei Chin let us listen to some of his songs. Turns out Kenneth and i were the only 'special' (go figure) ones in the group. Sad when we had to leave. Waiting for the next outing. Woohoo!!! Next Tuesday's CF, there'll be a movie. Come ok!!!

Picture time. Shucks i didn't arrange them in order. They go backwards.

This one was taken outside Bkt Cahaya when the day ended. The van was waiting for us already. Diva diva.

Group camwhoring outside the Four Seasons House. Can you spot Jolyn?

Shadow photo! Jolyn tagged a photo of Lillien on Blogspot. Jolyn tagged a photo of Ju Enn on Blogspot. Jolyn tagged a photo of herself on Blogspot.

Oh i love the concept here. i saw the railings and thought, hey why not get a photo of two ballerinas practicing?

The whole group of girls. Oi i can't see Dina's face. This was taken in the Four Seasons House. Look at the background. Isn't it divine?

Five girls trying to make the great escape. Go check out Lillien's FB for pics of the Four Seasons House. Worth it. Give your eyeballs a treat.

OMG what the freak were Jade and i doing? Hahaha such Drama Queen poses. Hahaha. Girls just wanna have fun.

Awww. Jules and i. <3 p="">

More of us. i still can't get over how beautiful it was at the FSH. *sigh* dreamy.

Oooh oooooh i love this photo. Lillien & i in the gazebo.

i'm glad i dragged her along for the trip. So is she.

Haha we were walking backwards here. Ju Enn found an easy way to make it up the slope.

Look at us. Like a Shakespeare play on stage.

Shucks i can't wait for the next outing. *fingers crossed*

To Heaven and Back

My mom told me about a D.G.S. Dhinakaran from India who was introduced to Christ by his uncle. His uncle had stopped him in the nick of time as he was about to commit suicide by throwing himself at a speeding train. After knowing Christ, he began to have divine peace and hope in life. For years he diligently sought God. He prayed for hours everyday on his knees.

One day, as he was praying, He saw a giant hand. It came towards him and he jumped on it. The hand rose, taking him along. When he looked down, he saw his physical body still on the knees, praying. He rose higher and higher and he could see millions of stars.

Then he reached Heaven. There are three Heavens. The highest Heaven was where God the Father sat on a huge magnificent throne. It was amazing to see. There God sat in all His splendour. He could see God's form but not His face. No man can see the face of God and live (Exodus 33:20). He also saw Jesus who moved freely around all three Heavens. He described Jesus' voice as soft and tender. God the Father's voice is very different. Thunderous and booming.

He saw Paul in Heaven. He was a short thin man. He saw Elijah and Enoch who were still in physical form. He saw David too. David was big and burly.

God asked Dhinakaran. What do you want? Dhinakaran answered, I want the nine gifts of the spirit:

Wisdom
Knowledge
Discerning of spirits
Faith
Working of miracles
Healing
Speaking of tongues
Interpretation of tongues
Prophecy

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

God replied, I am the nine gifts of the spirit. From behind him, he heard the Holy Spirit whisper: Tell God, I want You. So Dhinakaran said to God: I want You. Then he saw, God wriggled with joy, and on his bosom appeared the face of Jesus. And Dhinakaran was given the nine gifts of the spirit.

Wow. i was so amazed when i heard this story and knew i had to share it with you guys.

Wild Mushrooms in my Garden

Came home from college today, got out of the car with my mom and i noticed in our garden grew a whole family of wild mushrooms. Oh they were so cuuuuute. But too bad my mom didn't think they were cute and told me to uproot them all by stepping on them. How sad. But i took pictures first before doing the dark, dirty deed.See, aren't they so adorable. i feel like keeping them as pets. Haha. Who knows what breed of mushrooms these are. Maybe poisonous too.
Up close. Picture kinda blurry but can see them clearer.

i like the pretty frills they have under their heads. It's like a petticoat. Mushrooms remind me of jellyfish. Or umbrellas. Dunno whether you guys call them mushrooms or toadstools.

Shhh. Don't tell my mom, but secretly i hope they grow back.

Jokyle asking about the meaning of teng lang (Hokkien)

My little brother is nuts. He's banana-er than i am. He's heard the Hokkien word *teng lang* a couple of times. So he asks: "Mom, *teng lang* means Chinese izit?" My mom says yes. Then he says: "So *teng* means 'Chi-' izit?

Kids...they say the darnest things.

epilogue - 'Chi'(nese)